Bangalore: World Elders Day was celebrated with all fun and fervor at Museum Road with participation from more than 100 senior citizens from different old age homes across the city. The elders from Ashley Care Homes, Little Sisters of the Poor and Friend in Need Society actively participated in the events and games organized by Ms. Karen Pinto.

The entertainment extravaganza included music, dance and games suited to their age and lifestyle. Renowned musicians Mr. Carlton Braganza, Ms. Priya Mendens and Mr. Shankar performed retro hits taking the senior citizens to their yesteryear memories. Bangalore’s most admired dance troupe TeaAm 5678 choreographed a beautiful performance for the seniors.

“I look forward to planning this beautiful day to which is completely dedicated to the senior citizens of various old age homes across the city. It’s quite heartening to realize how much they eagerly await this day more than anybody here. Their excitement and joy to be a part of this event constantly motivates me and I will ensure to continue this initiative just to see their broad smiles and hopefully in the process creating a memorable day in their lives”, said Ms. Karen Pinto, who has been organizing this event since last three years.

International day of senior citizen is an opportunity to highlight the important contributions that older people make to society. Along with top artists from the city, children also form part of the entertainment as the seniors love having them around and the kids in return learn some life altering lessons from them.

“We are glad to be a part of this wonderful event. It is quite fascinating to witness the enthusiasm and excitement of these elderly people while participating in each activity. They are a plethora of knowledge and humor that is seldom noticed by their own kins and in today’s fast moving world, it’s quite unfortunate that the younger lot do not find enough time to spend with the elder members of their family. By celebrating this day, we hope to spread some joy, be with them and take back beautiful memories of a day well spent with the best people. The elders here today are an inspiration to us and have proven that age is just a number”, said Mr. Sanjay Shenoy, Joint Managing Director, Legacy Global Projects, who is supporting the event.

Mumbai: Veteran theatre and film personality Tom Alter died on Friday after losing his battle against stage four skin cancer in Mumbai.

The 67-year-old is survived by his wife Carol, son Jamie and daughter Afshaan.

According to a statement released by his family, the actor died on Friday night.

“It is with sadness we announce the death of Tom Alter, actor, writer, director, Padma Shri, and our dear husband and father. Tom passed away Friday night at home with his family and close family members in attendance. We ask for their privacy to be respected at this time,” the statement read.

Last year, Tom Alter had amputated his thumb due to the condition.

Tom Alter was born to American parents in Mussoorie and studied at Woodstock School and Yale University. With a gold medal in acting from Pune’s Film and Television Institute, Alter debuted in Bollywood with director Ramanand Sagar’s Charas in 1976. Later, he went on to work in films like Satyajit Ray’s Shatranj Ke Khiladi and Manoj Kumar’s Kranti.

He was also famously known for playing the gangster Keshav Kalsi in the hit soap opera ‘Junoon’, which ran for a record five years during the 1990s.

His other popular television stints included Bharat Ek Khoj, Zabaan Sambhalke and Betaal Pachisi.

He later acted in several foreign films too, notably Richard Attenborough’s Gandhi and One Night with the King.

Alter also had a flourishing stage career, and was among the most respected names in the Indian theatre circuit. His portrayal of Mirza Ghalib and Maulana Azad won him accolades from all quarters.

In 2008, he was bestowed with the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian honour of India, for his service to the field of arts and cinema.

Apart from acting in over 300 movies and numerous TV shows, Alter was a sports journalist for a brief while at the start of his career. He was the first person to interview Sachin Tendulkar for TV when the cricketer was yet to debut for India.

His sudden death came as a shock to the film fraternity.

Bollywood actress Nimrat Kaur shared her condolences on Twitter: “Waking up to some tragic news about the passing away of Mr. Tom Alter. A one of a kind, grace personified, thorough gentleman. #RIPTomAlter”.

(Agencies)

New Delhi: Banwarilal Purohit was today appointed as the governor of Tamil Nadu and senior BJP leader Satya Pal Malik would be the new governor of Bihar.

Jagdish Mukhi would be the new governor of Assam in place of Purohit, a press release issued by Rashtrapati Bhavan said.

The appointments of five governors, including for Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya, and Lt Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands have been cleared by President Ram Nath Kovind, it said.

Former member of Bihar Legislative Council Ganga Prasad has been appointed as the governor of Meghalaya. Purohit was holding the additional charge of Meghalaya.

Admiral (Retd) Devendra Kumar Joshi will be the lieutenant governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands in place of Mukhi, the release said.

Maharashtra Governor C Vidyasagar Rao was holding the additional charge of Tamil Nadu. There had been demands of appointment of a full-time governor in Tamil Nadu due to the political situation that arose following the death of J Jayalalithaa in December.

Malik, former MP and BJP’s national vice president, has been appointed the Bihar governor. The post had fallen vacant after Kovind was nominated as the BJP’s presidential candidate. He was elected as president in July this year.

Brigadier (Retd) B D Mishra would be governor of Arunachal Pradesh, it said.

Nagaland Governor Padmanabha Balakrishna Acharya was holding the additional charge of Arunachal Pradesh.

Purohit, the new Tamil Nadu governor, was a public personality inseparably involved in social, political, educational and industrial fields of Vidarbha in Maharashtra.

He had plunged into active politics in 1977 and had won election in Maharashtra Assembly for the first time in 1978 from Nagpur east seat.

Purohit is also credited with revival of ‘The Hitavada’, an English daily founded by Gopal Krishna Gokhale, the mentor of Mahatma Gandhi.

Malik, the new Bihar governor, is in-charge of the party’s Kisan Morcha and has held many important positions in both Centre and state.

He was the Union minister of state, parliamentary affairs and tourism from April 21, 1990 to November 10, 1990.

Malik has been a Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) during two terms from 1980 to 1984 and from 1986 to 1989. He was also a Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) and was also the member of Uttar Pradesh Assembly from 1974 to 1977.

Prasad, the new governor of Meghalaya, was elected for the first time as a member of Legislative Council in Bihar in 1994 and was an MLC for 18 years. He has served in various capacities such as the leader of the BJP in the Legislative Council.

A special invitee to BJP’s national executive, Prasad has also been the leader of the opposition for five years in the Legislative Council.

Mukhi, the new governor of Assam, took to active politics after the Emergency was clamped. He has won seven times from Janak Puri Assembly constituency in Delhi.

Mukhi, who was a professor in Delhi University, had been a minister and Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly.

Joshi, the new lieutenant governor, was the chief of Naval Staff from August 2012 to February 26, 2014. He had resigned after taking moral responsibility of fire in INS Sindhuratna, a submarine, according to official records.

Joshi is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy and was commissioned on April 1, 1974 in the Executive Branch of the Indian Navy, they say.

He has been awarded the Param Vishist Seva Medal, the Ati Vishist Seva medal, Yudh Seva Medal, Nau Sena Medal and the Vishist Seva Medal.

Mishra, the new governor of Arunachal Pradesh, was the commander of the NSG (Black Cat commandos) Counter Hijack Task Force that was involved in the rescue operation after an Indian Airlines aircraft was hijacked in 1993.

He has served in various wars and operational roles for the nation. He also volunteered for Kargil War after retirement and has received commendation for gallant role in counter terrorist operations.

(PTI)

Bengaluru: Mr. Syed Abdul Kabeer, Chairman of Alpine Group has been elected president of the Amanath Co-operative Bank Ltd.

The election for the post of president was held here on Thursday.

Mr. Kabeer was declared elected as president of the Amanath Bank, unanimously.

Mr. Nisar Pasha, Chairman of H.J.S Group was elected vice president of the bank.

The other members of the bank, who were elected as the board of directors are: Mr. Rizwan M.K, Editor of the Nasheman Weekly, Mr. Abdul Azeem B.J, Mr. Yakub Sharieff, Mr. Riyaz Ahmed M, Mr. Shafi M.D, Ms. Qurathulain Shabana, Ms. Rasheeda Begum, and Ms. Chaya K.

Karnal: Vishwas Gupta, the former husband of Dera Sacha Sauda chief’s “adopted” daughter Honeypreet Insan, today filed a complaint here alleging threat to his life, the police said. In his complaint, Gupta alleged that an unidentified person threatened to kill him, the SHO at the Karnal City Police Station, Inspector Rajbir Singh, said.

“Gupta filed a complaint with the Sector 4 police post here and alleged that an unknown caller threatened to eliminate him. We are examining the complaint,” Singh said, adding that he has been provided security. Gupta married Honeypreet in 1999 and filed for a divorce in 2011.

Addressing a news conference in Chandigarh last week, Gupta had expressed apprehension that that he might be killed for speaking against the Dera head. Honeypreet, against whom the Haryana Police had issued a lookout notice last month in connection with the violence in Panchkula, has been absconding since Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh’s conviction on August 25.

(Agencies)

Bengaluru: Congress party candidate Sampath Raj has been elected as 50th Mayor of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) while JDS candidate Padmavathi Narasimhamurthy declared as deputy mayor of the civic body after an election process held here on Thursday.

DJ Halli Corporator Sampath Raj secured 139 votes whereas another BBMP corporator Padmavathi Narasimhamurthy managed to get only 38 votes. Newly elected mayor and deputy mayors have tenure of one year until September 27, 2018.

Joint efforts of Congress and JDS turned fruitful to attain their preferred posts at BBMP as planned earlier. Meanwhile, BJP protested and boycotted the elections and finally moved away from the BBMP hall.

(Agencies)

Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh police have arrested Baba Siya Ram Das, for allegedly raping a teenaged girl repeatedly.

The baba allegedly confined the girl illegally for over 8 months and raped her on several occasions. According to the victim, she was raped by other disciples of the baba as well.

Cops said that the victim was allegedly sold by her relatives to a female disciple of the baba for Rs 50,000. The victim was initially taken to Lucknow and then to Mishrikh-based ashram where she was raped by him.

According to the victim, Das also filmed an MMS of her and threatened her with dire consequences if she revealed about the happening to anyone. From Mishrikh, she was taken to Agra-based ashram where she was allegedly raped by other men every night during her 8-month stay.

The baba raped her again when she returned to Mishrikh. She, however, got hold of his mobile phone and called the police from the ashram.

Baba Siya Ram Das has also been accused of running a sex racket through a girls’ school owned by him. The victim has alleged that the students of the school were not only raped, but also supplied to politicians and bureaucrats.

The Sitapur police have filed a rape case against the fake godman and initiated a probe into other allegations against him.

The baba has, however, denied all allegations, and claimed to have never met the victim in the past.

(Agencies)